US Coast Guard Captures Submarine With $181,000 In Narcotics Inside
The fact that narcotic cartels have almost unlimited cash resources allows them to find new ways of smuggling their products into their main retail markets.
Since the United States is the No. 1 retail market worldwide for narcotics, it goes without saying that these traffickers go to great creative efforts to get their products into the United States. They use long elaborate tunnels not just to escape from jail, like kingpin “El Chapo” Guzmán recently did, but mostly to smuggle narcotics across the Mexican-United States border.
But would you have even guessed that they also use submarines as a means of transport?
On July 19, 2015 the United States Coast Guard Cutter Stratton ship discovered a self-propelled semi-submersible submarine in international ocean waters off the coast of Central America. When the crew reached onto the 40-foot (12.2-meters) submarine vessel, they found more than a massive 6 tons of narcotic bales, worth about 181 million US dollars.
The operation was documented with video by the 94th Airlift Wing and you can watch it below along with the photo gallery .
US Coast Guard Captures Submarine With $181,000 In Narcotics Inside (1)
US Coast Guard Captures Submarine With $181,000 In Narcotics Inside (1)
US agencies stop semi-submersible, seize 12,000 pounds of cocaine
A Coast Guard Cutter Stratton boarding team opens the bridge of a self-propelled semi-submersible interdicted in international waters off the coast of Central America, July 19, 2015. The Stratton’s crew recovered more than 6 tons of cocaine from the 40-foot vessel. (Coast Guard photo courtesy of Petty Officer 2nd Class LaNola Stone)
US Coast Guard Captures Submarine With $181,000 In Narcotics Inside (3)
US Coast Guard Captures Submarine With $181,000 In Narcotics Inside (4)
US Coast Guard Captures Submarine With $181,000 In Narcotics Inside (5)
16,000 Pounds of Cocaine Seized
Coast Guard Cutter Stratton crewmembers secure cocaine bales from a self-propelled semi-submersible interdicted in international waters off the coast of Central America, July 19, 2015. The Coast Guard recovered more than 6 tons of cocaine from the 40-foot vessel.
US Coast Guard Captures Submarine With $181,000 In Narcotics Inside (7)